If you’re a leader in the hospitality industry, you face several key tasks: boosting customer loyalty, motivating employees, and enhancing employee engagement. In hospitality, creating mutual value means prioritizing both customers and employees. Gamification in hospitality can significantly enhance short-term engagement and build deeper brand connections. Gamification in hospitality can transform the customer experience; however, it’s important to implement it carefully, as one misstep could confuse or frustrate customers instead of captivating and motivating them.
Making Stays Fun With Games of Chance
In addition to interactive hotel experiences, adding an element of luck with an exciting game of chance can make the stay all the more enjoyable. Think about a fun digital spin-to-win wheel or scratch card game available in the hotel app. Gamified hotel rewards could range from complimentary drinks and snacks to room upgrades and spa vouchers. These small yet impactful touches add an exciting element and anticipation to the stay. Guests are more likely to remember their positive experiences and develop a stronger connection with the hotel, increasing the likelihood of repeat visits and positive reviews.
Central to gamification is interactive promotions. These offer a unique way to enhance guest engagement and loyalty. For example, during the booking process, hotels could introduce a digital mystery box game where guests have a chance to win discounts or special offers for their next stay. This makes the booking experience more engaging and provides a compelling incentive for guests to return.
How Does Gamification in Hospitality Increase Customer Engagement?
Gamification taps into our love for rewards and the thrill of winning. Our inherent drive for achievement, recognition, and progress forms the basis of the psychology behind gamification, motivating us to participate in gamified experiences actively. Here’s how it boosts engagement:
1. Rewards That Motivate
People love rewards. Offer a digital scratch card game where guests can win points or discounts, and watch how quickly they get involved. It’s exciting and gives them a reason to engage more with what the hotel offers.
Every interaction becomes a chance to win something. Checking in online? Spin a wheel for a chance at an upgrade! Waiting in the lobby? Play a game and earn some extra points. These small rewards keep guests engaged and make the entire experience more enjoyable.
2. Fun and Social
Games can also be social. Hotels could run social media campaigns where guests share their game wins. This promotes the hotel while building a community of guests. It’s fun and connects people with the brand in an exciting way. It could be as simple as a guest sharing a win on Instagram, tagging the hotel, and encouraging friends to join in. This creates buzz and excitement around the brand. Plus, it’s a free promotion from happy customers!
3. Personal Challenges
Hotels can create challenges for guests to unlock rewards. For instance, staying at three different branches within a year could earn guests extra points. Personalizing these challenges will make them even more engaging.
Send your guests notifications about booking another dinner at the restaurant if they rated it highly, let them earn double points for dining at the hotel restaurant three times a week, and make the loyalty program feel more dynamic and less routine.
Gamified Loyalty Programs
Traditional loyalty programs can sometimes lack excitement. Customers might feel uninspired by the repetitive nature of traditional loyalty programs. Here’s how gamification can help you spice things up at your hotel:
1. Progress and Goals
Visual progress indicators can motivate guests. A progress bar on a guest’s profile showing how close they are to their next reward can encourage them to stay more often. For example, if a guest sees they’re just a few points away from a free upgrade, that visual cue might be the nudge they need to book another stay. It’s simple but effective.
2. Exclusive Games
Offering exclusive games or content to loyal members can make them feel valued. This can be done through the hotel’s app or website, providing unique experiences for members. Loyal members might gain access to special games where they can win unique prizes, adding value to their membership and encouraging continued engagement.
3. Tiered Rewards
Introducing tiered rewards is another excellent way to make your loyalty program more exciting for your clients. Digital games like Unwrap the Gift can be used to reveal tiered rewards as guests accumulate points. The more they engage, the better the rewards they can unlock. For the grand prize, a game like Pop the Balloon can be introduced, offering top-tier guests a chance to win significant rewards.
Real-Life Examples of Gamification in Hospitality
Several hotels have successfully implemented gamification strategies:
Marriott International
Marriott’s Bonvoy loyalty program includes games and competitions where guests can earn points in fun ways, making the program more engaging. Campaigns where members can play games to win extra points or prizes keep them active within the program.
Hilton Hotels
Hilton Honors offers a range of promotions designed to engage members and encourage frequent stays. These include earning bonus points for stays and participating in status challenges. Their app provides various features for enhancing the hotel guest experience, such as bookings, exploring destinations, and accessing exclusive member benefits.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)
IHG Rewards Club incorporates gamification by offering challenges and competitions. For example, guests can earn bonus points by completing specific actions like staying at different hotel brands within the group.
Benefits of Gamification in Hospitality
Gamification in the hotel industry offers several benefits, including increased guest engagement, brand loyalty, and customer satisfaction:
1. Loyal Customers
Engaging loyalty programs keep customers coming back. An engaging loyalty program can encourage guests to choose the same hotel chain repeatedly, enhancing customer retention.
2. Better Experience
Adding game elements to the hotel experience makes it more fun, leading to happier guests who are more likely to recommend the hotel. Gamification in hospitality is also a great way to attract a younger demographic as it appeals to a young audience. Younger guests are more likely to share their positive experiences with friends and family, especially on social media, giving the hotel valuable word-of-mouth and online promotion.
3. Increased Engagement
Interactive promotions and games keep guests engaged with the brand, potentially leading to more bookings and additional service use. Engaged guests are more likely to book stays, purchase upgrades, and participate in other services offered by the hotel.
4. Useful Data
Games can help hotels gather data on guest preferences, which can be used to personalize marketing and improve services. Data gathered from games can reveal guest preferences, allowing hotels to tailor their offerings more effectively. BeeLiked offers gamified promotions that enable businesses to gather important customer information. This data can then be used to customize marketing strategies and enhance customer interaction.
Tips for Driving Customer Engagement in Hotels With Gamification
Here are some useful tips for hotels looking to implement gamification strategies to drive customer engagement:
1. Know Your Audience
Understanding guest preferences is crucial. Conduct surveys and gather feedback to determine what types of games will be most engaging.
2. Set Goals
Having clear objectives for gamification strategies, such as increasing engagement or improving the booking experience, helps guide the process.
3. Keep It Simple
Simple games and rewards are often the most effective. Avoid overcomplicating the gamification process to ensure it is accessible to all guests.
4. Meaningful Rewards
Offering rewards that guests value, such as discounts, extra points, and upgrades, can enhance the effectiveness of gamification strategies.
5. Monitor and Improve
Regularly monitoring the performance of games and gathering feedback helps in making necessary adjustments to keep the games engaging.
Enhance Your Customer Engagement With BeeLiked!
Gamification in hospitality can truly transform the industry! Hotels can foster a greater sense of satisfaction and loyalty among guests by making interactions more engaging and fun. Using games of chance, interactive promotions, and gamified loyalty programs are key strategies that hotels can adopt. As hotels continue to explore and refine their gamification strategies, they will discover innovative ways to make staying an enjoyable part of the journey, not just a place to sleep. Check out BeeLiked for gamified customer engagement in hospitality. If you’re in the hospitality industry, contact us today to learn more about our interactive solutions and how they can enhance customer engagement for your hotel.
